“We're likely to admit 1000 to 2000 Syrian refugees for permanent resettlement in fiscal year 2015 and a somewhat higher number, though still in the low thousands in fiscal year 2016,” Psaki said.
Although Psaki didn’t mention where in the United States the Syrian refugees would be relocated to, noting that since 2011, 524 Syrians had been resettled as refugees in the United States.
When asked whether the United States was confident on its refugee vetting process before potentially bringing those who could commit terrorist attacks in the United States, Psaki argued “refugees are the most carefully vetted of all travelers,” who come to the United States.
"I have not seen evidence to suggest that the screening system is not as rigorous as it needs to be,” Psaki said.
However, Psaki admitted that there have been two incidents she had information on where refugees were admitted then discovered to be terrorists.
Syria’s internal conflict began in 2011. The country’s army is fighting several opposition and rebel groups, including the Islamic State. The civil war has claimed nearly 200,000 lives so far, according to UN estimates.
